


Heiwa ni - Dribbles & Drabs

by ladyamesindy



Series: Heiwa ni [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabbles, Fluff, M/M, mShenko, writing prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28039590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyamesindy/pseuds/ladyamesindy
Summary: Heiwa ni - translation: At peaceA series of writing prompts and drabbles for Takao "Taka" Shepard and Kaidan Alenko.Some canon divergence.  MShenko.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: Heiwa ni [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053917
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. Breakfast

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Prompt: From the December Writing Challenge: Breakfast
> 
> Takao Shepard, Kaidan Alenko
> 
> mShenko

It’s the near quiet that wakes him; that muffled silence that comes with new fallen snow. As he wakes to soft birdsong drifting somewhere beyond the windows, the steady, even breathing of his husband lying next to him, Takao Shepard breathes in deeply the hint of winter that fills the air. Memory floods as consciousness returns, and with them comes peace. 

Carefully extricating himself from their bed and leaving Kaidan to sleep his fill, Takao stretches. There is an unexpected desire, an _urgency_ on this morning to watch the sun rise from home, so much so he cannot ignore it.

He dresses quickly and snags his small art bag on the way outside. Softly, he pads through the halls, noting as he goes that the house has not changed much in the years since his departure; though dark and still, he knows his way through these halls well. But there is one place he knows best, and that he makes his first destination. He mission today is of a far different sort than those of recent weeks; there are no rogue spectres, geth, or reapers chasing him, no Cerberus labs or experiments gone wrong. Those battles are over, for now at least.

He enters the small dojo, setting his bag to the side along with his shoes. A quick glance outside assures him he has time before the sun rises, so he pays his respects first. Kneeling, he thinks of _otaasan_ and _obaachan_ , wonders briefly what they would think of him these days, then moves on into his daily warm up routine. Some minutes later, he finishes as just the barest hint of sun starts brightening the skies near the edge of the mountains. Grabbing his bag, retrieving his shoes, he heads out into the small fenced in yard. It is time.

A rickety old ladder remains nailed to the side of the large maple tree and leads up to a wooden platform secured over two strong branches. It is surprising to find it still in place after all these years, but that thought is as fleeting as the breeze. Taka climbs without hesitation, remembering back to when he was seventeen and before he left for Vancouver, before his life changed forever. As then, the ladder wobbles a bit, and one of the planks on the platform shifts awkwardly beneath his weight, but his old thinking spot has survived the test of time. He settles quickly, smiling to himself and recalling Kasumi and Hajime and their adventures here as children. As the smile fades, he reaches for his bag.

The morning skies are loosening their hold on the dark of night by the time he is ready. Takao sketches quickly, just a hint of line, of shape, only then does he reach for the brush and paints. Beneath his hands, the page takes on form and color; within minutes, the sun is risen for the day, the chill of the December air biting at the back of his neck, chasing down his spine beneath the thin kimono, but he takes no notice. His focus is on the scene before him, the page coming to life. Finally, with a soft sigh, he sets the pad to lie atop his bag and carefully wraps his brush, closes his paints, and slides them inside. With that complete, he turns his attention to the day around him.

A soft blanket of snow covers the ground, disturbed here and there where his path took him this morning. The breeze, though cool, is not so bad, even out of his armor, and he takes a moment to appreciate the way it flutters across his face and toys with his hair. Five more days, and they will return to the _Normandy_ , their mission to continue; scenes like this, the memory of winter, will fade with time, but he wishes to retain it.

The creak of the ladder alerts him he is no longer alone. He smiles, moves his art bag out of the way and scoots over to give Kaidan room to sit behind him. “You should have woken me,” the man murmurs as he sits, wrapping his arms around Takao’s waist as he rests his chin on his shoulder.

Takao leans back, content in the warmth of their bodies so close to one another. “It has been many years since I watched the sun rise here,” he murmurs in response.

“Hmm. It’s beautiful.” Kaidan presses an energy bar into Taka’s hand. “Not much in the way of breakfast, I know, but I thought maybe …?”

Takao chuckles, turning his head to press a quick kiss to Kaidan’s temple as he wonders at how luck has dealt them such a wonderful hand. “Since you bring me this gift,” he reaches for the painting, now mostly dry, “I have one for you in return.” 

He tilts the pad so the images are clear. His husband’s soft gasp fans warm air across Takao’s neck; he shivers despite himself. “For me?” Kaidan asks.

“ _Hai_.” He hands over the pad so it can be viewed more closely and settles back against Kaidan’s shoulder. “I have missed living here,” he observes quietly. “Like many, I took the beauty for granted until it was too late. However,” he half turns in Kaidan’s arms to look up at him, runs his fingers down the side of Kaidan’s face. “I would not trade it for anything else in the world, Kaede, because it brought me to you. You understand this, yes?”

Kaidan’s arm around his waist tightens and he leans into the touch briefly before he smiles and whispers in reply, “That I do.”


	2. A Kiss in a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiss prompts: A kiss in a dream
> 
> mShenko
> 
> Takao Shepard, Kaidan Alenko

“ _Kaede? Kite kudasai…_ ”**

Takao’s eyes flutter, opening slowly. The voice is but a whisper, not familiar to him; someone calls to Kaidan, but who? They are alone, just the two of them, a honeymoon at his old family home northwest of Kyoto. 

_Who calls? Why? How?_

Lying in each other’s arms, Kaidan’s arm tightens around Taka’s waist, refusing to respond to the summons. The voice does not repeat, yet, something compels Takao to resist the restriction. He draws up one hand between them and pushes against the solid wall of muscle that is Kaidan’s chest; not much pressure, but the distance created seems vast. Expansive. More frighteningly, it continues to grow.

Taka’s eyes slam shut, he inhales sharply, deeply, in an effort to calm himself, and succeeds until the fresh scent of cherry blossoms drifts in from outside and tickles his nose. He frowns.

 _Cherry blossoms? It’s December …_ _Why are there cherry blossoms now …?_

Kaidan murmurs something unintelligible in his sleep; he sounds close now, and Taka opens his eyes to find himself lying within his partner’s embrace, arm loose around his waist as it was before. Shifting his gaze to Kaidan’s face, Taka’s lips curve upward at the familiar visage. They’ve come so far, the two of them, since that day in Vancouver when they fought against one another. Twelve years. Practically a lifetime. In those first weeks of knowing one another, never would Taka have thought they would end up here, together like this.

The scent of cherry blossoms grows stronger as another gust of wind blows into their room. It takes him a moment to realize something is very wrong; the _shoji_ lining the walls opposite the bed no longer block the room from the elements outside, and the wind whirls into the room with such force that it blows him from the bed. For the briefest moment, he is suspended in the air above the ground, and then …

His eyes slam shut again and throws his arms up to protect his head from the inevitable fall. A fall that never comes. Breathing heavily, he opens one eye just a crack. The room is dark and he hears the crickets chirruping softly outside. Lying in front of him, his arm wrapped around Taka’s waist again, is Kaidan. He stirs slightly, but his arm remains where it has been all night. 

It’s strange, Taka thinks; if there is one constant in all of this, it is that. The shape and a heaviness he expects, yet something about it isn’t quite right. The dreams he’s having – and there is no doubt in his mind that they are dreams – are stranger than any he recalls having had before. There was a doctor he spoke to once, shortly after enlisting, and their conversation eventually rolled around to a discussion about dreams, dream interpretation and how the subconscious likes to toy with a person’s mind at times. If anything, the dreams he’s had tonight are that; his subconscious playing.

Sighing softly, he notices Kaidan’s hair sticking out at an odd angle. Instinctively, he reaches over and smooths it back into place. At the same time, he leans in and ghosts a kiss across his lips … and is startled by the complete lack of reaction he gets in return; Kaidan has always been responsive, no matter his level of consciousness. Leaning back in, he initiates a more thorough kiss this time, and relief swells when the man’s lips return it. The arm around him tugs his hips closer and the kiss deepens.

“Kaede,” Taka murmurs against his lips, running his fingers from Kaidan’s temple, down his jaw and along the side of his neck, “open your eyes.”

“I can’t.” Kaidan trembles. 

Taka is about to ask why, when the voice from before returns.

_“Kaede? Kite kudasai. Kare wa shindeiru.”**_

This time, there is a hint of something familiar in it, but he cannot place it. Kaidan shudders again, harder this time. Taka strokes his cheek lightly. “Kaede, wake up. Open your eyes. For me. Please.”

Eventually, he does and their eyes meet, but there’s so much pain and regret in them, it’s physically aches to look at. 

“I-I don’t want to lose you …,” Kaidan rasps. His hand rises, reaching for Taka only to be stopped from contact by a chasm that springs up, separating them and growing steadily. 

“Kaede? Kaede!” Taka makes a desperate grab for Kaidan’s hand, but doesn’t even come close. In the process, he loses his balance and rolls over the edge. 

Even as he reaches desperately for Kaidan, the slithering, snaking tendrils of complete darkness embrace him fully. Everywhere he looks, there is darkness. Impenetrable. Continuous. It’s more than a little unnerving that he no longer sees his partner, and fear tightens in his chest when he realizes there is no end to this. It’s been a very long time since he’s been stalked by this particular opponent; its return is not welcome. 

In an act of desperation, he throws his hands out, hoping against hope for some way to stop his descent. All the while, his mind races. _What is happening? Where am I? This isn’t real – it cannot be!_ His sense of time and place thoroughly distorted, he throws his head back, inhales deeply and prepares to scream into the void …

“ _Wake up, commander. Shepard, do you hear me? Get out of that bed now. This facility is under attack …”_

The voice, sharp but with the air of authority, cuts through the darkness with the precision of a samurai blade. Taka gasps for breath, the soft rattle in his lungs jolting him to full consciousness. Slowly, he rises and takes stock of his situation. The darkness is gone. Pain – aching, awkward, unexpected – fills his head, his chest, his ribs. _Physical pain._ Another gasp. His lungs burn. _It’s real._ The bright lights and blaring alarms around him, they are real, too. The familiar flash of weapons fire on the other side of the windows. For just a moment, he wonders if he has awoken at the fiery gates of hell…

_“There’s a pistol in the locker on the other side of the room …”_

His feet hit the floor and he stumbles toward a locker. _Kaede, where are you …?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Kite kudasai = Please, come.
> 
> ** Kare wa shindeiru = He is dead.


	3. Wrapping a blanket around them when they are sitting on the couch and watching a show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> writing prompt: Wrapping a blanket around them when they are sitting on the couch and watching a show.
> 
> Setting: pre-ME1, Alenko Orchard in the BC Interior, 2177

_Alenko orchard, 2177_

Of all the things they can find to do while on leave, even when visiting Kaidan’s family, _this_ is at the bottom of Takao Shepard’s list.

“I cannot believe we are watching this.”

Kaidan slides to the floor next to Taka in the den, setting a large bowl of popcorn between them and handing over a soft drink before reaching to the sofa behind them for the handmade afghan that drapes across the back of it. It’s cold outside and the fire, while nice, does little to heat the entire room, and he tugs the blanket around their shoulders, cocooning them beneath. “What’s wrong with it? Marko, Aleksander, and I used to do this all the time when we were little.” His eyes narrow on Taka. “As I recall, we did it a time or two that year you were here.”

Taka sighs softly, memories returning, his lips curving upward at the memory. They _had_ shared ‘movie night’ together a few times during those few months he’d lived with them, but never _this_ movie. 

Kaidan’s eyes widen a fraction, surprise mixing with sudden realization. “Wait, … don’t tell me you don’t _like_ it?”

Taka shakes his head immediately. “No, that is not what I meant.” He sighs again, seeking the right words to explain what he means and, in the process, reaches for a handful of popcorn. This he starts nibbling on as his eyes focus on the vidscreen and the movie’s opening credits as they pass by. Truth is, he does like the movies, especially as a young child when he, Kasumi, and Hajime would receive special permission to watch when they were all together. Still, something about it … “Which one is this?”

“ _Pacific Rim XXV: The Kaiju Fight Back_ ,” Kaidan announces with a sheepish look. “Not my favorite, but it’s the only one I could find.”

Taka huffs softly. Not his favorite, either. “It only took twenty-five movies before they learned how to fight back?”

An unexpected giggle escapes Kaidan as he grins. “Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

The shuffle of booted feet echo in the hallway as they pass the room, hesitate briefly, then move closer a moment later. “Hey, Kaede,” nineteen-year-old Aleks calls from the doorway as the youngest Alenko peers into the room. “Which one?”

“ _XXV_ ,” Kaidan replies. Taka glances over, notices Kaidan bracing himself, and automatically reaches for the bowl of popcorn. He’s learned to read his partner’s body language well over the years, and right now it suggest …

With a running leap, Aleks lands on the sofa behind them, settling on his side and reaching over Taka’s shoulder for a handful of popcorn. “My favorite!”

Kaidan rolls his eyes and shoves his younger brother’s arm out of the way. “Go find your own movie to watch and leave us alone, please?”

Aleks laughs. “Now why would I do that?” 

When he reaches for the edge of the blanket, Kaidan smacks his hand harder. “Find your own; this one’s ours.”

Still laughing, Aleks demands, “Why? If I don’t, you going to go all glowy on me?” 

A second later, he jumps when Taka reaches over and touches his forearm – just a light tap with his finger – his corona of dark energy encasing his hand. It is nothing more than a very light shock, but it is a reminder to the youngest Alenko that his brother is not the only biotic in the house. With a polite smile, Taka replies, “Kaede may not, but I will. Now please, sit quietly so we can watch? I have not seen this movie in a very long time.”

“ _Fine …_ ,” Aleks grumbles, pushing back to his feet and leaving the room. 

Kaidan chuckles. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.” Taka tugs the blanket around his shoulder and snuggles closer to Kaidan before setting the bowl back where they both can reach it. “But it does not change the fact I still cannot believe we are watching this …”


End file.
